Villain Retirement

Surreal.

At most times, Riley Ross has been described as just that; completely and utterly surreal. It may be because of his strength, or just his outright outward appearance. And now, ever since Riley was thrown into the Domain of the Gods, he could consider everything that he has seen here so far as surreal, even for him.

But if Riley was asked to describe what surreal is, then the only definition he would have of it would be what was happening in front of him right now. The woman who was approaching him was walking on empty air; her entire silhouette was completely unperturbed by anything that was going on around her, even her long blonde hair seemed immovable.

The debris, the dust, and perhaps even the very space itself seemed almost as if they didn't exist around her — like she was not really there, but she was.

But perhaps the most important factor for Riley was the woman's face. At first, she truly did look like Hannah, but as she was approaching closer and closer to him — all he could really see was Aerith.

"Sister…? Is that what I look like to you?"

And as the woman spoke, Riley once again found himself confused as the woman's voice resembled both at the same time — something that should be impossible. But then again, he was in the Domain of the Gods, thinking of something and someone in the Domain of the Gods could offer it.

"You are using other abilities besides physical strength," Riley muttered as he looked at the woman from head to toe, "And yet you have not been disqualified from the tower."

"Because I am not climbing the tower," the woman let out a small chuckle as her feet finally stepped on the floor; the smile on her face, slightly mischievous as she also looked at Riley from head to toe,

"And I entered from a different entrance, Riley Ross."

"You know who I am, Stranger?" Riley squinted his eyes as the woman started walking around him while eyeing him.

"To an extent," the woman shrugged as she looked around the wrecked room, before looking at the now completely open view of the outside, "I was going to knock properly, but I truly did not expect that someone would just suddenly raze the entire floor."

"You are not with the god that took the ugly human, Stranger?" Riley tilted his head to the side before he also looked to where Miss Pepondosovich and the others disappeared to.

"No, should I be?" The woman giggled before just sitting… on empty air, crossing one leg over the other as she gestured to Riley to do the same. Riley did not really question her and also just sat down on empty air, only to truly feel like a seat was truly there,

"I am sure you are aware of this, but the result of your fight with Kravos has actually already spread far and wide — everyone that shouldn't know it, knows it."

"Hm," Riley only breathed out as he leaned back and relaxed on the invisible chair. It was… quite comfortable, after all.

"But wow, wow, wow…" The woman then pointed at Riley with both her palms; the look on her face was extremely amused as she once again looked at him from head to toe, "The Mythical Riley Ross, the Renovator… The Father."

"...The Father?" Riley squinted his eyes as he looked the woman straight in the eyes, "Are you perhaps Aerith'Ross?"

"No," the woman almost snorted as soon as she heard Riley's words. Of course, Riley already knew that the woman wasn't Aerith'Ross — Aerith'Ross was depicted as having hair as white as his, and even the old themarian, Seed, described her as such,

"I just know her deeply, quite deeply, to a personal level."

"Then why do you look like her?"

"I thought I looked like your sister. I think her name was…" The woman let out a small but very long groan as she looked at the ceiling, with half of it now the sky of Marlene's domain, "...Hannah, that's right. Her name was Hannah."

"Why do you look like you are both?"

"Wow, you really are incredibly stoic and uncaring, aren't you? Just like in the stories," the woman once again giggled, "But how rude of me not to introduce myself to you, I need to get rid of this habit of being thoughtless when speaking to people who do not technically exist anymore — well, technically, you still do exist."

"Hm…" Riley placed his hand on his chin, slightly humming as he analyzed the stranger's words.

"I lost track again and still didn't introduce myself," the woman scoffed at herself as she shook her head, "If you truly must know, I am…

…Jennifer."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I know," Jennifer let out a sigh as she closed her eyes, "My name is quite underwhelming, I just wanted to say it like it would actually mean something to you."

"Do not worry, my name is also quite common, Miss Jennifer," Riley just shrugged.

"Not where I am from," a very subtle smile crawled on Jennifer's face as she once again looked Riley in the eyes, "That name… only one is allowed to have it, even variations of it are completely… I should say restricted, but it's not, really."

"And where are you from, Jennifer?" Riley asked.

"I have a feeling you already know — I've been leaving bits and pieces subtly throughout our conversation, after all," Jennifer smirked.

"Yes, but it wasn't subtle at all, Jennifer," Riley breathed out and nodded,

"...You are from the future."

"Hmn," Jennifer just nonchalantly raised her eyebrows and slightly nodded, "Just how far — I actually have no idea, but far. As for why I look the way I look, well…

…I have this innate ability, which I can't really turn off, to be seen as the person you most want to see again — in this case, apparently, you want to see your sister and Aerith; well, your sister more since you saw her first."

"Hm."

"So, exciting, right!?" Jennifer started hitting the invisible armrests of her invisible chair, "Ask everything you need to ask me — and don't worry about all those time paradoxes, time slipping, time consequences, or the like, they don't really matter for beings such as you and I."

"Who are you related to, Jennifer?" Riley asked with a blank expression on his face.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting that question at all," Jennifer seemed extremely surprised as she suddenly placed her hand on her mouth, "Well if you must know…

…I am an embodiment of Paige Pearson."

"Oh," Riley could not help but blink a couple of times — he had almost completely forgotten about Paige Pearson.

"You're thinking about how you've forgotten her, aren't you?" Jennifer giggled as she started waving her hand, "That is totally not your fault, the fact that you are even remembering her now is impressive. Since I am here… she can not exist at the same time."

"Are you saying she is gone…?" Riley's eyes slightly darted away as he thought of Paige. Throughout his entire life, he really had no people he could categorize as a friend — but if he had to choose for there to be one, then Paige… Paige would probably be it.

"Yes," Jennifer answered without any hesitation as she once again looked Riley in the eyes, "And no. It is a little complicated — I know you are aware of what sort of being Paige Pearson is, correct?"

"Not exactly, Miss Jennifer."

"Well, Paige Pearson is… I don't want to say this since it's been overused and a little cheesy," Jennifer started twirling her finger, "But Paige Pearson is a construct, a concept if you may…

…created on the very day you first met Nothing."

"I am aware of that already, Other Paige told me something similar," Riley nodded.

"Yes," Jennifer nodded several times, "And the same construct, the same concept can't exist at the same time because… they're the same. What I am trying to say here is… Ack, why is this so hard… I was wrong, I worded it out wrong."

"Hm?"

"I am not an embodiment of Paige Pearson…" Jennifer let out a quiet and very forced-out groan as she once again looked up at the sky, "...I am an embodiment of the being you know as Other Paige. What I am trying to say is…

…I am Paige Pearson."